3 Days: Antalya and the Coast
Three days from an Antalya base covers the three closest legs of the Turquoise Coast: Perge and Aspendos combined into one half-day (18km and 47km out), Side’s beach-and-ruins combo at 76km, and Termessos, a 37km mountaintop ruin with a real hike attached. Same spine as the 2-day plan , one more day added. Going longer? See the 4-day plan , which adds Olympos and the Chimaera flames.
Book these before you go
- A rental car for all three days: compare cars in Antalya
- If you’d rather not drive: book a Perge, Aspendos and Side tour on GetYourGuide
- Your Antalya base for all three nights: check rates on Booking.com
| Day | Focus | Distance / Drive Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perge and Aspendos | 18km and 47km, 20-45 min each |
| 2 | Side | 76km, 1-1.25 hr southeast |
| 3 | Termessos | 37-39km, 40-45 min northwest |
Day 1: Perge and Aspendos
Morning
Drive 18km/20-30 minutes east to Perge first, the closest ruin on this coast: a colonnaded main street, a stadium, and a bath complex that still reads like a city.
Afternoon
Continue 30km/15 minutes to Aspendos, the single best-preserved Roman theatre standing anywhere. Entry runs roughly 700 TRY ($15/13 euros), free with the MuseumPass . It still hosts the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival every September (2026 dates: Sept 10-29).
Can You Really See Both Perge and Aspendos in One Morning?
Yes, easily. Perge takes 60-90 minutes to walk properly, Aspendos closer to an hour, and the drive between them is only 15 minutes. Starting by 9am clears both sites with the afternoon still free for a swim back in Antalya.
Evening
Back in Antalya for dinner. One relaxed day, not a rushed one.
Day 2: Side
Morning
Drive 76km/just over an hour southeast to Side, a working beach town built directly around a Roman theatre and harbor rather than a fenced-off ruin.
Afternoon
Walk the open town for free; the theatre itself is the ticketed piece, and the exact current fee wasn’t consistent across sources, verify on site. The Temple of Apollo stands on the harbor point.
Evening
Stay for sunset through the temple’s columns, then drive the hour back to Antalya.
Day 3: Termessos
Morning
Drive 37-39km/40-45 minutes northwest into Guillik Dagi National Park. Go early: the site’s gates reportedly close by mid-afternoon, and there’s no shade anywhere on the trail up.
Afternoon
Entry runs roughly 100-120 TRY ($2-3/2 euros, verify on site). The walk from the car park is steep and unshaded, this is a real hike, not a stroll through ruins, so wear proper shoes and carry more water than seems necessary. The payoff is a mountaintop city Alexander the Great besieged and then moved past rather than conquered, and near-total absence of tour buses.
Is Termessos Worth the Climb If You Only Have Time for One Ruin?
Yes, for travelers who don’t mind a real hike. Termessos beats Perge on drama and crowd-free ruins alone, mountaintop views, a genuine climb, and none of the tour-group traffic that Perge and Aspendos get by midday. Skip it only if you’re not up for a steep, shadeless walk in the heat.
Evening
Back in Antalya by late afternoon, plenty of time to recover with a swim before dinner.
Bring cash and a full tank for Termessos specifically, there’s no fuel and no reliable card reader once you’re past the park gate. Background on Turkey’s protected archaeological sites is on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism site .